Featured Province to Visit: ALBAY Province and Mayon Volcano

MAYON VOLCANO

LOCATION: Province of Albay in the Bicol Region

Location Map of Mayon Volcano

Brief description and history –

Elevation of Mayon Volcano : 2,463 meters (8,081 ft.)

Prominence: 2,447 meters (8,028 ft.)

Listed as: Ultra Active Volcano

Mayon or Bulkang Mayon, in Tagalog, also known as Mayon Volcano or Mount Mayon, is a very active stratovolcano in the Province of Albay in the largest island of the Philippine – Luzon. Renowned to be as the “perfect cone” because of its symmetric conical shape, the surrounding area of Mayon has been declreated as National Park on 20 July 1938. It was the first National Park in the Philippines. Thus it was renamed a Mayon Volcano Natural Park in 2000. Legend has it that Mayon was named after the legendary princess-heroin Daragang Magayon which means in English “Beautiful Lady”.

As the most active volcano in the Philippines, Mayon has erupted 51 times in the last 400 years.

The most destructive eruption of Mayon occurred on February 1, 1814. Lava flowed but less than the 1766 eruption. The volcano belched dark ash and eventually bombarded the town of Cagsawa with tephra that buried it. Trees burned, rivers were certainly damaged. Proximate areas were also devastated by the eruption, with ash accumulating to 9 m (30 ft) in depth. In Albay, 2,200 locals perished in what is considered to be the most lethal eruption in Mayon’s history; though estimates by PHIVOLCS(Philippine Volcanologists) list the casualties at about 1,200. The eruption is believed to have contributed to the accumulation of atmospheric ash capped by the catastrophic 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora, in Indonesia that led to the Year Without a Summer in 1816.

On August 12, 2014, a new 30m-50m high lava dome appeared in the summit crater. This event was preceded by inflations of the volcano (measured by precise leveling, tilt data, and GPS), and increases in sulphur dioxide gas emissions.

On September 14, 2014, rockfall events at the southeastern rim of the crater and heightened seismic activity caused PHIVOLCS to increase the alert level for Mayon from 2 to 3, which indicates relatively high unrest with magma at the crater, and that hazardous eruption is possible within weeks.

On September 18, 2014, PHIVOLCS reported 142 VT earthquake events and 251 rockfall events. White steam plumes drifted to the south-southwest and rain clouds covered the summit. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission was measured at an 757 tonnes after a peak of 2,360 tonnes on September 6. Ground deformation (precise leveling and tilt meters) during the 3rd week of August 2014 recorded edifice inflation.

Province of Albay:

BRIEF PROFILE: Land Area: 2,575.77 km2 Populartion (2015): 1,314,826

Languages: Albay Bikol, Central Bikol, Filipino, English

Climate: Albay’s climate is classified as tropical. Albay has a significant amount of rainfall during the year. This is true even for the driest month. The Köppen-Geiger climate classification is Af.

Albay is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Legazpi City. Mayon Volcano is the symbol most associated with the province. This nearly perfectly-shaped active volcano forms a scenic backdrop to the capital city of Legazpi 15 kilometers to the south. Albay and its surrounding areas were known as Ibalon when Juan de Salcedo and 120 soldiers explored it in 1573. Sawangan, a small settlement by a mangrove swamp, became a town called Albaybay (which means “by the bay”) in 1616. The town was first renamed Albay, then Legazpi, as Albay went on to refer to the province. In 1846, the islands of Masbate, Ticao, and Burias were separated from Albay to form the comandancia of Masbate. Albay was then divided into four districts: Iraya, Cordillera or Tobaco, Sorsogon, and Catanduanes. In 1894, Sorsogon became a separate province and Catanduanes in 1945. The province of Albay itself was created on March 10, 1917. In 1649, the natives rebelled against their recruitment to Cavite to build galleons. In 1814, Mayon Volcano erupted, killing 1,200 people and burying the town of Cagsawa. Traditional industries. Agriculture is the main industry in Albay, which produces such crops as coconut, rice, sugar, and abaca. Handicrafts is the major source of rural income. It continuous to provide fairly large share in the small-scale industries of the province. Forestry and papermaking are another source of livelihood. The manufacture of abaca products such as Manila hemp, hats, bags, mats, and slippers is one of the main sources of income in the rural areas. Fishing is also done along both shores of the province. Tourism, primarily because of Mayon Volcano, also draws income for Albay.

SOME PLACES TO VISIT IN ALBAY

Mayon Volcano – INDISPENSIBLE! Visit the Cagsawa Church ruins, the only remaining witness to the 1814 destructive eruption of Mayon. Stay at the Mayon Rest House, the closest place anyone can go to see majestic Mayon.

Kawa-Kawa Hill – Kawa resembles a cauldron. The hill is like a “hill without a hilltop”.

Joroan Church – where the image of Nuestra Señora de Salvación is housed. She is the Patron Saint of the Province of Albay.

Cagraray EcoPark – is an environment camp on Cagraray Island, connected to mainland Albay by the Sula Bridge, the island offers activities like wall climbing and zip line rides.This is not a complete list. There are more beautiful places to visit and see.

FESTIVALS:

Magayon Festival, May 1-31– The festival features sports and cultural events and trade fairs. The focus of the month-long event is the stage reenactment of the tragic love story of the legend of Daragang Magayon and Panganoron whose fatal deaths gave birth to the volcano. Legend has it that Magayon’s grave became Mayon while the clouds kissing her is Panganoron.

Ibalong Festival, 2nd week of October in Legazpi– A week-long festivity recounting the brave exploits of the heroes of Ibalong or prehistoric Bicol. The festival is highlighted by a street parade recreating the classic battles between heroes and beasts of Ibalong.Tabak Festival, Last week of March in Tabaco City– A week-long activity held in time with the City’s Foundation Anniversary. Street presentation depicting the city’s legend, trade fairs of the growing cutlery industry, woodcraft and pili, colorful parades and the Mutya ng Tabak Search highlights the event.Sarung Banggi Festival, May 18-25 in Sto. Domingo – An annual fun-filled eight-day summer festivity immortalizing the timeless love song Sarung Banggi, and a tribute to its composer, Potenciano V. Gregorio. The Sarung Banggi festival showcases a variety of cultural and religious activities. Coron Festival, 3rd week of August in Tiwi – A showcase of events highlighted by a street presentation participated in by the town’s different public and private schools and sectors gives a week of fun and merriment to visitors and locals. The religious package of devotion and prayer in honor of Albay’s patroness, Nuestra Señora de Salvacion (Our Lady of Salvation), is the peak event of the festival, colorfully drawing thousands of devotees and religious groups through a long maritime procession of different local sea vessels on the sea spray of the serene Pacific ocean going to the quiet barangay of Joroan, the home of the miraculous image.Kadagatan Festival, Black Saturday in Bacacay – Formerly called the Bancathon race, the festival is a water sport activity participated in by fishermen from the different municipalities of Albay aimed to give recognition and at the same time provide a venue to the fishermen to show their strength, skills, and contributions to the socio-economic development of the region.Pagsuwak Festival, August 9-15 in Guinobatan – The act of thanksgiving for Guinobatan’s growth, development, and progress, fitted in with the people’s gesture of offering for the bountiful harvest.

Katalingkasan Festival, 2nd week of July in Libon – The festivity retraces the valiant story of the virgins of the town who worked hard in making Libon as one of the earliest settlements in Albay. The activities are trade fairs, shows, and street dancing.

Salingoy Festival, August 9-15 in Bacacay– Salingoy is a Bikol term that literally means looking back. A century of devotion (1901-2001) to one of Bacacay’s patron saints, Nuestra Señora de los Samparados, Salingoy Festival came into being, a centennial commemoration of unbroken reverence to God’s blessings and bounty. Salingoy looks back with humility by reminiscing into the richness of fidelity to Our Lady (Holy Mother Mary) and to relive Bacacay’s historical, socio-cultural, and religious heritage.

Tinagbuan Festival, December 25 in Ligao City– This festivity is in honor of the city’s patron saint, St. Stephen Protomartyr. Tinagbuan, from the term tagbuan, which means converging point, is exactly the essence of this festival as it enables Ligaoeños to come back to Ligao for a blessed reunion with their families and friends. The festival’s highlight is the street dance presentation.

Pilgrimage to Joroan, 3rd Saturday of August in Tiwi – This yearly pilgrimage to Nuestra Señora de Salvacion, the patroness of Albay, is highlighted by a maritime procession and a concelebrated Mass on the shores of Sogod Beach. Thousands of pilgrims from different places flock to pay homage to the Marian image.

DELICACIES IN ALBAY

Meats
Kanding-ga – ginataan version of Bopis
Guinobatan longanisa – air-dried, spicy and with chunky, instead of grounded, pork meat.Snack
Pinuso suman, Binamban – a Tabaco specialty of glutinous rice with pork, salted egg, chorizo, etc.Rice cakes
Marcasite – steamed puto with macapuno filling; “native steamed rice cake cooked in handmade paper bags similar to the Italian panettone; the old technique of cooking uses a huge clay pot as oven and is lined with cut banana bark at the bottom, giving it a distinct taste and aroma;” with either macapuno or bucayo filling; “the tallest puto ever” Hinagom or Bayukbok – in Tabaco, pounded and roasted rice with coconut meat and sugar then wrapped in banana leaves; tastes like espasol.

Vegetables
Ginataang santol, Gulay na santol
Ginataang kamiasPangat, Pinangat, Tinuto, Laing – “a packet of fresh gabi leaves filled with pounded pork, freshwater crab, or shrimps (depending on the locality), in which the kakang gata (the first batch of squeezed coconut milk) is poured before bundling and cooking in coconut milk with lemongrass; it takes 2 coconuts to make 1 packet of pinangat, one for the inside and another for cooking it; a Camalig specialty.
Sinigang na Buko – a Daraga specialty